Mysterious Natural (nature-made) Places Around the World

Mysterious
Location &
Picture
Videos/
Slide
Shows
Web
Resources
(click each image to
go to a website)
Questions
A) Spotted Lake, Canada
Spotted-Lake-4.jpg

external image Spots%20%20%28Watercolour.jpg
Fly to the Spotted Lake in Canada. The mysterious place first appears to have measles or lily pads or...some alien infection! Use the Wikipedia article you find embedded in Google Earth to answer the following questions.
  • What causes this phenomenon to happen and when does it occur?
  • Why do some people think this lake has mythical powers?
  • Take a screenshot of the lake from Google Earth and include the highway you would need to take to get to this mysterious location.
B) The Great Blue Hole
external image great_blue-hole-of-belize.jpg



external image turtleanthiasdiver.jpg

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Use the web resources & videos to answer these questions.
  • The Great Blue Hole is one of many sinkholes. What is that?
  • Describe how the Great Blue Hole was formed.
  • What continent and what country are you visiting if you are scubbing diving in the Great Blue Hole?
  • Share two interesting facts about the Great Blue Hole, including it's size, marine life found there, what's unique about it, etc.

Fly to the Great Blue Hole, zoom out and take a screenshot of the Blue Hole and the island next to it to include in your Travel Journal.
C) Spherical Boulders,
New Zealand
spherical boulders.jpg

external image MoerakiBoulder1.jpg
Use the web resources to answer the following questions.
  • What is the inside and the outside composed of?
  • How do the boulders get on the beach?
  • What would happen to you if you tried to move one?

According to the video:
  • How old are these boulders and about how many are located on this beach?
  • Briefly describe how these boulders were formed and where they formed.
D) Marianas Trench
(or Mariana Trench)
,Pacific Ocean
MT.jpg
Video:

Slideshow:
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Using Google Earth, travel to the Marianas Trench. Click anywhere on the words "Marianas Trench National Wildlife Refuge." This will give you access to the World Commission on Protected Areas website. From there, answer these questions for your travel journal.

  • In a complete sentence, compare the size of the Marianas Trench to the Grand Canyon.
  • From "Site Information" tell a brief story of what happens to the football-size mussels when they die
  • How deep is the trench (in FEET, not miles)--yes, you'll have to do a little math and you'll need to know how many feet are in a mile. HINT: Denver is a MILE HIGH CITY (or just google it!)
  • From the video, give 1 or 2 examples (comparisons) of how deep this trench is
  • From the photos, select one to include in your Travel Journal.
E) Giant's Causeway,
Northern Ireland


external image giant-causeway.jpg
Click this image to go to a webpage with an embedded video
external image data=U4aSnIyhBFNIJ3A8fCzUmaVIwyWq6RtIfB4QKiGq_w,gxyTA1J2h_vtlHsw7jWDt9Kalmfp1EzZZ572FYg-spwbulPGLt_aSFFy-7ymx7TlVBGqsuKJPKTZSu6bgNmG_6_VdEIm-lySi-ORpqdI9WRzndYydy-M9ldtE-qQf6iMYTOXTHGcyCx3T9S_3ygYsBBYwm9mvOGdcd4wl2aWFi1bAI3BOZHy2ZbXY0uSoBF7RZqspYYCXE5hdVAqIQ



external image gigantefinnysucalzada.jpg
Fly to "Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland".
  • Choose one of your favorite Panoramio photos of this phenomenon and take a screenshot that includes the Google Earth aerial view. In other words, fly to this coast, open a Panoramio picture, then take a screenshot of both the picture and the background aerial view of the rock formations.
  • Zoom out a bit and describe the shape of the coastline.

From the website & video, answer the following questions:
  • Describe the different number of sides you might see if you visit this stone structure.
  • How were the columns formed?
  • What kinds of stone are they made of?
  • What caused their formation?
  • Briefly share the legend of Finn McCool and how this story explains the formation of the Giant's Causeway
  • How big is the "giant's boot" stone?
F) Danxia Landform, China
China color.jpg
Click this image to go to a webpage with an embedded video
external image china_map_flag_1.png



Watch the first 50 seconds of this video for more information about the formation of these mountains:

external image chinese_symbols_for_camel_8219_2_0.png
Fly to the Danxia Landform in China! Here, in the middle of nowhere, you will find an amazing mountain chain.

Using the website and video, answer these questions:
  • Write two clever sentences explaining why the mountains are this interesting colors.
  • How many years ago were these mountains formed?
  • Are there other mountains in the world formed in this way and if so, where?
  • Zoom out until you see the closest city. What is the name of that city?
  • Take a screenshot of these magical mountains, including an opened Panoramio photo (layered on top of the aerial view). In other words, fly to these mountains, open a Panoramio picture, then take a screenshot of both the picture and the background aerial view of the mountains.
G) The Sardine Run,
South Africa

external image SardineRun11_2609855k.jpg

external image Sardine_whitebackgrnd.jpg?n=2260
In Google Earth, fly to the continent of Africa.

  • Take a screenshot of the entire continent and record in your Travel Journal what ocean you would be visiting if you were viewing the Sardine Run off the southern tip of South Africa.
  • Using the referenced website, share a few sentences to answer these questions about the Sardine Run:
    • WHEN does this happen?
    • WHY do the sardines "run"?
    • WHAT do the sardines eat?
    • WHAT eats the sardines (besides us!)?
H) Rainbow
Eucalyptus
Trees, Australia
Rainbow-Tree.jpg
external image maple-leaf.jpg
external image data=U4aSnIyhBFNIJ3A8fCzUmaVIwyWq6RtIfB4QKiGq_w,uYahg9SpNRf8eOuIsxTZeA7OMetxSCo6cfuafXGadmZwEJtN83Kl_BlrpjhGVdqfE6_ANUAmk1HztZOwJOlZNO4Hp5F-j_9RdzW5bxIp_iPSos1MbpKhG3GQEdgJGeJW0NuolBWOSKQ2eCNOD-uydcDOaRGahs2712kL9Pls2fb07Ia_KDMLGl6RCf0mR2a_7H4abNhiIcQM7GKasA
Fly to the"Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees, Australia"

  • Use five adjectives to describe what you are seeing
  • Zoom OUT and describe the location of this forest on the Australian island (using compass point directions

From the provided website, answer the following questions:
  • WHAT causes the trees to change color?
  • WHAT are the trees used for?